The name Eddie Goines might not mean much to you at first glance – but once you realised he starred in the hit music video for Beyoncé’s If I Were a Boy in 13 years ago in 2008, that all changes.
Hollywood star Eddie played Bey’s on-screen husband in the iconic black-and-white video, which begins with the couple speaking in turns: “Intimacy. Honesty. Commitment. You. Me. Us,” before the song begins.
With the Irreplaceable songstress portraying a cop in the clip, she’s notoriously badass as she heads to the shooting gallery and then to a bar with her co-workers, leaving hubby Eddie at home alone.
But what has Eddie been up to since starring in the iconic music video, and how did he get to star alongside one of the most iconic musicians of our era?
We look into his football star past and his connection to the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle to find out.
Football star
Eddie actually didn’t start out his career in acting – his passion was initially sports; specifically American Football.
Born in Jackson, Tennessee, Eddie was raised in Florida and grew up playing football.
He gained traction as the wide receiver for North Carolina State University from 1991 until 1995 when he attended college there, and made history at the time by being the top receiver in the college’s existence.
Eddie was later scouted and drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL until 1997 – but a knee injury which required reconstructive surgery then ended his football career.
(Image: Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)
AP News reported in 1997 that Eddie’s left knee hadn’t completely healed from injury when he was sent home, and told the publication: “Hopefully someone will call.
“But I’m not just going to sit around and wait for them to call. In the meantime, I’ll be pursuing life after football also.”
And he definitely did that, launching a hugely successful acting career in the interim.
Landing Beyoncé job
(Image: WireImage)
Eddie was actually working as a substitute teacher when he landed the job in Beyoncé’s music video.
But it was a role as a TV news reporter that inspired Eddie to become an actor, a move which eventually saw him acting alongside Bey.
Speaking to Empowering Women Magazine, Eddie said: “I mailed approximately 50 postcards to the casting director.
“As a result, I started to feel as though it may be a waste of time,” he confessed.
But eventually, while working as a substitute teacher, he received a call from Beyoncé’s staff that he’d managed to secure the lead role for the video.
“Beyoncé is truly a legend and an icon,” he gushed.
In the interview, Eddie admitted he wants his name to be remembered alongside the likes of Denzel Washington, Marlon Brando and James Earl Jones.
Meghan Markle link
Eddie has had a long and lustrous acting career since his role in Beyoncé’s video.
One of his most prominent roles was in US legal drama Suits – the same programme in which Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle starred in until 2018.
Eddie’s own appearance came a year later in 2019, when he portrayed boxer Ricky in the episode Rocky 8.
He has also starred in everything from sitcom My Name Is Earl to Kiefer Sutherland-fronted action series 24, along with shows like Law & Order and Snowfall.
His longest running role was in the radio play White Privilege from 2020-2021, in which he portrayed Wahlid Walid for nine episodes.
The audio podcast focuses on a black woman hired by a super-conservative news network because she passes as white – and has to keep her secret from the channel.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
